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What does a revenue accountant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Terri Walsh

A revenue accountant is responsible for monitoring clients' payments, tracking financial transactions, and resolving billing discrepancies and reconciliations. Revenue accountants release invoices and collect payments from outstanding debts. They also identify business opportunities and client partnerships to generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability, keeping efficient and safe storage of all account information in the database. A revenue accountant writes comprehensive reports for management's reference, requiring them to have excellent communication skills and accounting principles knowledge.

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Revenue accountant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real revenue accountant resumes:

  • Manage personnel financial matters including salaries, taxation procedures and other relate issues.
  • Upload project statements of work and changes in scope into ERP system, ensuring accurate invoicing and revenue recognition.
  • Execute and maintain supporting documentation for SOX internal controls
  • Provide GAAP considerations for complex revenue transactions including audit documentation.
  • General accounting functions, including adjusting journal entries, reconciliations of global accounts including defer revenue and accruals.
  • Prepare monthly journal entries and balance sheet reconciliations for numerous domestic and international revenue accounts using foreign exchange rates.
  • Maintain A/P, A/R and relate accounts.
  • Assist with the implementation of the company new ERP system.
  • Prepare monthly contract-in-progress schedules; cash advance reconciliation reports, and A/P & A/R reconciliation reports.
  • Analyze review and verification of financial revenue records and operating accounts for a group of dialyses clinics in compliance with GAAP.
  • Test accrual and defer revenue/expenses schedules, research open purchase orders, and retire fixed assets for SOX internal control compliance.
  • Prepare year-end estimate accruals to company accounts.
  • Reconcile accruals to actual revenue and performs analysis of volume/price variances.
  • Assist in converting monthly manual calculation of unitize wells onto computer spreadsheets.
  • Assist with Hyperion submission of monthly financial statements in order to provide management with information on financial accounts.

Revenue accountant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Revenue Accountants are proficient in Reconciliations, GAAP, and Pivot Tables. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Revenue Accountants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Reconciliations, 18%

    Worked directly with Assistant Controller on many projects and provided input to developing internal accounting practices and policies for account reconciliations.

  • GAAP, 10%

    Analyzed review and verification of financial revenue records and operating accounts for a group of dialyses clinics in compliance with GAAP.

  • Pivot Tables, 5%

    Implemented Pivot Tables to extract data for review thus reducing the team review process by 6 hours a month.

  • Financial Statements, 5%

    Prepared and delivered to management accurate and timely monthly and quarterly financial statements with variance to budget and history.

  • SOX, 5%

    Developed and coordinated SOX Revenue compliance and documentation.

  • Accruals, 5%

    Reconciled accruals to actual revenue and performs analysis of volume/price variances.

Common skills that a revenue accountant uses to do their job include "reconciliations," "gaap," and "pivot tables." You can find details on the most important revenue accountant responsibilities below.

Communication skills. Many revenue accountant duties rely on communication skills. "accountants and auditors must be able to listen to and discuss facts and concerns from clients, managers, and other stakeholders," so a revenue accountant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways revenue accountant responsibilities rely on communication skills: "prepared monthly close journal entries, account reconciliations and variance analysis for this $5 billion dollar telecommunications firm. "

Detail oriented. This is an important skill for revenue accountants to perform their duties. For an example of how revenue accountant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "accountants and auditors must pay attention to detail when compiling and examining documents." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a revenue accountant: "monitor essential school district functions, including revenue detail preparation and financial reports. ".

Math skills. A big part of what revenue accountants do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to revenue accountant responsibilities because "accountants and auditors must be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical revenue accountant tasks: "recognize revenue within sox guidelines for clinical studies in the us (2 departments- biostatistics and technology). "

Organizational skills. Another common skill required for revenue accountant responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of revenue accountants all the time, as "strong organizational skills are important for accountants and auditors, who often work with a range of financial documents for a variety of clients." An excerpt from a real revenue accountant resume shows how this skill is central to what a revenue accountant does: "posted receipts to appropriate general ledger accounts compiled quarterly budget reports, financial spreadsheets and organizational charts to improve office organization. "

Most common revenue accountant skills

The three companies that hire the most revenue accountants are:

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Compare different revenue accountants

Revenue accountant vs. Accountant internship

An accounting intern is responsible for assisting an organization's accounting department, observing practical applications and processes, and performing accounting duties under the supervision of tenured accounting staff. Accounting interns support the accounting operations by preparing and organizing financial reports, helping with accounts reconciliation, researching financial and stock market trends, utilizing various accounting software, and managing feedback from their mentors. An accounting intern must be detail-oriented and a fast-learner, immediately adjusting to the company's culture and actively cooperating with the team to ensure a smooth flow of operations.

If we compare the average revenue accountant annual salary with that of an accountant internship, we find that accountant interns typically earn a $32,531 lower salary than revenue accountants make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between revenue accountants and accountant interns are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like gaap, financial reports, and general ledger accounts.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between revenue accountants and accountant internship. For instance, revenue accountant responsibilities require skills such as "reconciliations," "pivot tables," "financial statements," and "sox." Whereas a accountant internship is skilled in "r," "account management," "powerpoint," and "renewable energy." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Accountant interns tend to make the most money working in the media industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,253. In contrast, revenue accountants make the biggest average salary, $71,722, in the technology industry.On average, accountant interns reach similar levels of education than revenue accountants. Accountant interns are 3.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Revenue accountant vs. Finance analyst/accountant

In a company setting, a finance analyst/accountant is in charge of handling and monitoring financial activities, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Their responsibilities revolve around preparing financial reports, performing audits and risk assessments, and identifying any errors and inconsistencies, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They also conduct research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, evaluate the existing procedures to determine its strengths and weaknesses, and recommend solutions to optimize operations for financial growth. Furthermore, as a finance analyst/accountant, it is essential to uphold the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

A career as a finance analyst/accountant brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a revenue accountant. In fact, finance analyst/accountants salary is $3,040 lower than the salary of revenue accountants per year.A few skills overlap for revenue accountants and finance analyst/accountants. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "reconciliations," "gaap," and "pivot tables. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, revenue accountant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "financial statements," "oil gas," "calculation," and "revenue transactions." Meanwhile, a finance analyst/accountant has duties that require skills in areas such as "account reconciliations," "cpa," "process improvement," and "income statement." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Finance analyst/accountants may earn a lower salary than revenue accountants, but finance analyst/accountants earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $78,897. On the other hand, revenue accountants receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $71,722.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Finance analyst/accountants tend to reach similar levels of education than revenue accountants. In fact, they're 2.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for revenue accountants in the next 3-5 years?

Terri WalshTerri Walsh LinkedIn profile

Professor/Program Manager, Accounting, Seminole State College of Florida

I think EXCEL is a must for all business graduates, especially for accounting graduates, but often they have not been exposed to much of it in their degree. Besides, with technology continually changing, a dual major in accounting and information technology will be sought after, so I recommend a bachelor's degree accounting major NOT pursue an MBA, but an information technology degree or programming data. The rise of Big Data and issues surrounding cybersecurity risks will require the accounting profession, and accounting roles, to rely more on students with strong computer skills and logic/analytical thinking. As mentioned before, they will need to master EXCEL, as spreadsheets are widely used in accounting and are the foundation for more advanced software. We are already seeing TABLEAU being used in accounting books, even in the foundational courses which have EXCEL already. There is powerful interrogation software, such as IDEA and ACL, which can pull data from multiple sources; and knowing these tools or their capabilities will be required in the future. Also, strong technological skills need to be communicated once data is retrieved, and this will require persuasive writing and verbal skills.

Revenue accountant vs. Senior accountant analyst

As a senior accountant analyst, your main role is to provide professional guidance to a company. You need to have excellent preparation skills to create financial reports that clearly state the expenses and forecast the company's financial future. You should always aim for accuracy and compliance. Moreover, as a senior accountant analyst, you are supposed to give general operational assistance to the company's management.

On average, senior accountant analysts earn higher salaries than revenue accountants, with a $9,267 difference per year.By looking over several revenue accountants and senior accountant analysts resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "reconciliations," "gaap," and "pivot tables." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, revenue accountants are more likely to have skills like "financial statements," "financial reports," "oil gas," and "calculation." But a senior accountant analyst is more likely to have skills like "account reconciliations," "erp," "income statement," and "treasury."

Senior accountant analysts earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $89,199. Revenue accountants earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $71,722.When it comes to education, senior accountant analysts tend to earn similar degree levels compared to revenue accountants. In fact, they're 2.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Revenue accountant vs. Certified public accountant

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Certified public accountants tend to earn a higher pay than revenue accountants by an average of $10,678 per year.While their salaries may vary, revenue accountants and certified public accountants both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "reconciliations," "gaap," and "internal controls. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between revenue accountants and certified public accountants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a revenue accountant might have more use for skills like "pivot tables," "financial statements," "sox," and "accruals." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of certified public accountants require skills like "cpa," "strong customer service," "customer service," and "irs. "

The finance industry tends to pay the highest salaries for certified public accountants, with average annual pay of $92,755. Comparatively, the highest revenue accountant annual salary comes from the technology industry.certified public accountants reach similar levels of education compared to revenue accountants, in general. The difference is that they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of revenue accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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